Tag: Tulkarem - Page 6 - International Solidarity Movement

Protest against Israeli chemical factories in Tulkarem

5th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tulkarem, Occupied Palestine

On the 4th of November, associations, officials and activists protested against the chemical factories that sicken the population of Tulkarem.

The construction of Israeli factories on Palestinian land near Tulkarem started in 1987. At the time locals were told these installations were a good will gesture that would provide employment.

26 years later the women’s group MIFTAH, surrounded by speakers from the Palestinian Government, Ministry of Health and local campaigners raised concerns about the high rates of cancer, respiratory diseases and skin ailments close to the factories. All of them condemned the factories.

It was reported that the factories do not operate when east winds would carry the fumes into Israel and that toxic waste had been buried on agricultural land in a nearby Palestinian village.

International activists then joined a protest march to the high wire topped wall that marks the boundary to the industrial complex.

The protest passed peacefully without the security forces attending.

Photo essay: March through Nablus and Tulkarem commemorates the Nakba

13th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement | Nablus and Tulkarem, Occupied Palestine

By Team Nablus

Today, at around 8am, over thirty people from the Palestinian General Union of People with Disability marched through the city of Nablus to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Nakba.

Participants gather in Nablus before the march (Photo by ISM)

People marching along al-Quds Street in Nablus (Photo by ISM)

After the march, a bus drove participants to Tulkarem where they were joined by approximately 40 more demonstrators. Together they continued the march through the city of Tulkarem. They sang and chanted slogans remembering the 1948 massacre and reclaiming the right of return.

Palestinian Scout's band leading the demonstration (Photo by ISM) — Palestinian Scout’s band leading the demonstration (Photo by ISM)

Demonstrators marching through Tulkarem (Photo by ISM) — Participant with sign symbolizing the Palestinians’ right of return (Photo by ISM)

Two young demonstrators participating in the march (Photo by ISM)

The marched finished at the Israeli Chemical factory on the outskirts of the city. Demonstrators hung Palestinian flags and flags calling for the right of return from the wall.

Protesters hang Palestinian flags on the wall (Photo by ISM) — Protesters hang Palestinian flags on the wall of the illegal Israeli chemical factory (Photo by ISM)

Army Invades three Tulkarem towns

30 April 2012 | IMEMC

Israeli soldiers invaded on Sunday the towns of Dir al-Ghsoun, Bal’a and Shewika, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, installed several roadblocks and inspected the ID cards of dozens of residents.

Local sources reported that five armored Israeli military vehicles invaded Shewika area and installed a roadblock on its main road before stopping dozens of vehicles, and inspecting the ID cards of the drivers and passengers.

The sources added that four armored military vehicles invaded Bal’a town, east of Tulkarem, and installed a roadblock at its main junction that leads to Nablus and Tulkarem, before stopping vehicles and inspecting the ID cards of the residents.

The army also invaded Dir al-Ghsoun town, and drove around in its streets, before stopping and searching a number of vehicles.

The army is still heavily deployed around the invaded towns, and around several nearby towns, an issue that raises fear among the residents of the possibility of further invasions and attacks.

Israeli army arrests teenagers at protest north of Tulkarem

20 February 2011 | International Solidarity Movement

Eight young Palestinian men were arrested by the Israeli military yesterday in the village of Deir Al Ghusun, north of Tulkarem. Three of them remain in custody, Jala Anwar, Omar Abu Safa and Sohayb Abu Shakra, all aged 17 years. The teenagers were taking part in a protest against the illegal Israeli separation barrier when soldiers and the border police entered through the gate on foot and in army jeeps. The protesters were running away from the army, but the soldiers managed to grab and take eight young men from the crowd and detain them in their army jeeps. Activists tried to get between the soldiers and one of the youths in an attempt to protect him, but without success.

It is still unclear what will happen to the three boys who are still in Israeli custody, and the families have not been told there were they are being held.

Tulkarem and Ramallah mark the seventh anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie

16 March 2010

Newly dedicated Rachel Corrie Street in Ramallah.

On March 16th 2003, an Israeli bulldozer killed the American activist Rachel Corrie in Rafah, Gaza. Today, in Kafr Sur, near Tulkarem, and in Ramallah, family, friends and supporters gathered together to commemorate the anniversary of her murder.

Students of Kafr Sur Secondary School, who have been working on a research project about Rachel’s life and death, today marked the anniversary with a march to a memorial stone at the entrance to the village. The students were joined by children from the nearby primary school, as the stone was unveiled and speeches were delivered by the headmaster, one of the students, and an ISM activist.

A boy in Tulkarem smiles and holds photos of Rachel.

Approximately fifty Palestinians, Internationals and media then joined Craig and Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s parents, for the inauguration ceremony of Rachel Corrie Street in Ramallah. Speeches were delivered by both the Mayor and Governor of Ramallah, the Minister of State, National Parties’ Coordinator, an ISM activist and Rachel’s parents.

At both events, speakers talked of the lasting impact left by Rachel, as an inspiration to those involved with the non-violent resistance in Palestine and across the world. Rachel’s mother spoke about how her daughter has become a symbol for the anti-Occupation movement, and of how grateful she and her family are to the Palestinians they have come to know and love over the past seven years for their unfailing support, despite the suffering they themselves continue to experience.

The coming weeks also mark the seventh anniversaries of the shootings of the British activist Thomas Hurndall, who was shot in the head whilst shielding children in Rafah from Israeli sniper fire, and who died in hospital nine months later, and Brian Avery, an American who was shot in the face in Jenin, but who mercifully survived. Last weekend saw the one year anniversary of Tristan Anderson being hit in the head with a high velocity tear gas canister in Nilin. Tristan is still recovering in an Israeli hospital.